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CrossFit founder, dropped by Reebok, apologizes about tweet

CrossFit founder, dropped by Reebok, apologizes about tweet
Posted at 10:13 AM, Jun 09, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-09 18:05:08-04

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — Reebok says it has cut ties with CrossFit after the fitness training company's CEO invoked George Floyd's name in a Twitter post chastising a health group for saying that racism was a public health problem.

On Saturday, the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation tweeted: "Racism is a Public Health Issue."

CrossFit chief executive and founder Greg Glassman replied: "It's Floyd-19," a reference to COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus.

On Sunday, Glassman tweeted an apology for the tweet.

"I, CrossFit HQ, and the CrossFit community will not stand for racism," he wrote. "I made a mistake by the words I chose yesterday. My heart is deeply saddened by the pain it has caused. It was a mistake, not racist but a mistake."

Floyd died two weeks ago after a white Minneapolis officer pressed a knee on his neck for several minutes.

Reebok had been in negotiations to extend its contract with CrossFit.